Open_Data/Wakulla_County_1994_1996_Manatee_Distribution_Survey

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Service Description: Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually about one hour long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Wakulla County were flown twice a month from October 1994 to September 1996. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes two major rivers in Wakulla County (Wakulla and St. Marks rivers), the nearby Gulf coast waters, and Spring Creek. The study area is confined to the lower 23 km of the St. Marks River beginning at the St. Marks Spring. The study area also includes open Gulf of America waters from the St. Marks River west to Spring Creek.

Map Name: Open Data Manatee

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Wakulla County 1994-1996 Manatee Distribution Survey Observations (0)

Description: Aerial distribution surveys are used by marine mammal biologists from FWC and other agencies to determine the seasonal distribution of manatees. Most surveys are conducted from small, four-seat, high-winged airplanes (Cessna 172 or 182) flying at a height of 500-1000 ft at a speed of 70-90 kts. Small helicopters may be used instead of fixed wing aircraft in urban areas or where waters are particularly opaque and hovering may be required. Flights are usually about one hour long and are most commonly flown every two weeks for two years. The surveys are designed to maximize the manatee counts by concentrating on shallow nearshore waters around the state where manatees and their primary food source, sea grasses, are located. Flight paths curve parallel to the shoreline, and the airplane circles when manatees are spotted until a count of the number of animals in each group is obtained. Offshore waters are usually not surveyed. Dolphin and sea turtle sightings are recorded opportunistically. All aerial data are recorded on paper maps and entered into a GIS shapefile for spatial analysis. GIS is a computer software system for representing data spatially and for conducting spatial analyses. Surveys of Wakulla County were flown twice a month from October 1994 to September 1996. FWC staff members were observers for these flights. The survey area includes two major rivers in Wakulla County (Wakulla and St. Marks rivers), the nearby Gulf coast waters, and Spring Creek. The study area is confined to the lower 23 km of the St. Marks River beginning at the St. Marks Spring. The study area also includes open Gulf of America waters from the St. Marks River west to Spring Creek.

Service Item Id: caedcfed126646058060f73d5d1c53d9

Copyright Text: Flights were flown and data were collected by FWC staff. Data were entered and verified by FWC staff. Use of these data must be credited in any reports or other written publications by the following sentence: "Manatee specific data used in analyses were collected under scientific research permit #MA773494 issued to FWC-FWRI."

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Open_Data/Wakulla_County_1994_1996_Manatee_Distribution_Survey_Observations (MapServer)